The Arctic: Canary in the Cage for Global Warming

Reader Contribution by Richard Hilderman and Ph.D.
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The Arctic is warming up faster than the rest of the planet! Atmospheric surface temperature of the Arctic has increased about 2.5 times faster than the overall global surface air temperature. This rapid increase in temperature is why the Arctic is considered the “canary in the cage” for global warming. 

Why is the Arctic warming up faster than other parts of the planet? Three major components contribute to the rapid warming of the Arctic: warm water from the Gulf Stream entering the Arctic Ocean, Arctic positive feedback factor (see The Arctic Feedback Factor and Climate Change) and continuous sunlight the Arctic receives for about half the year.

The Arctic Ocean is a circular ocean with the North Pole at its center.  The diameter of the Arctic Ocean is about 2,800 miles with North America and Greenland on one side and Europe and Asia on the other side.  Since the Arctic Ocean lies within the Arctic Circle it experiences extreme solar illumination, total darkness in the winter and unending days in the summer.  Historically much of the Arctic Ocean remains frozen year around.  However, during the unending summer sunlight the ice breaks and melts and refreezes during the next winter. 

The northward flow of Atlantic Water is the major means of heat advection (transfer of heat from the ocean water to the atmosphere) in the Arctic. The warm water of the Gulf Stream crosses the Atlantic Ocean as the North Atlantic Current which splits into two currents. The warm Atlantic Water flows northward into the Arctic Ocean.  The remainder of the water from the North Atlantic Current gives England its maritime climate before flowing southward as the Canary Current (see Global Heat Distribution and Climate Change).  

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